Theory of Psychosocial Development by Erikson - Essay Example

Erikson’s Theory of Development Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development Personality development is the most complex yet fascinating aspect of one’s identity creation. I believe that not only is it closely related with the individual’s choices and life decisions, a person’s personality has the ability to impact the outcome of experiences and the paths we take during the span of our lifetime. In this reflective essay, I have selected Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development as the premise of my discussion. Unlike several other personality theories that have been put forward by renowned psychologists, Erikson’s comprehension of an individual personality speaks to me the most because it incorporates the realities of a human being’s social experience in its entirety. More so, it is Erikson’s acceptance and recognition that conflict is inevitable and that it is bound to strike an individual’s life but it is how we manage to cope with that particular conflict that decides whether we will grow as individuals or fail to progress and evolve for the better. In his assessment of Erikson’s theory with regards to the significant impact that the framework has had in explaining adolescent experiences, Arnett (2000) writes that this particular time period in an individual’s life is characterized by profound transition. I certainly agree with this observation because during one’s teenage years the learning curve is modified and it is the stage when one enters a world that was previously unknown. Looking back, I can assess the negative and positive traits of my personality as an adolescent after much thought because self-evaluation is rather difficult. I would state that my personality’s negative characteristics as an adolescent were 1) impulsiveness 2) lack of confidence 3) fear of being reprimanded 4) lack of initiative and 5) absence of self-belief while, my positive traits as an adolescent would be 1) loyalty 2) emotional stability 3) ambition 4) gregariousness and 5) the ability to understand other people’s feelings. I gradually became aware of my positive traits as soon as I let go of being too concerned about the negative traits of my personality. This happened when I gained love, support and acceptance from my social group, peers and family. I realized the true importance of having truthful rather than deceptive people in my life. I was lucky enough to have been surrounded by people who cared for my well-being and told me to accept my personality and let go of those elements in my personality that were holding me back. The one concern that continued to haunt be during my early, middle and late adolescence was acceptance. At this stage I worked hard to change myself to perhaps make others happy and become a version of myself that would be approved by others. Each day, I fought with the idea of being me and strived to change myself to fit social expectations and standards. When I look back at that phase of the life that I have lived, I feel that what I lacked at the point was individuality and being my own person. As demonstrated by Erikson’s theory this lead to confusion and even chaos but I knew that I needed to evolve. In their research Franz and White (2006) have enhanced the scope of Erikson’s theory by integrating the notion of individuality to the creation of the self. As I began to reach a stage of maturity in my life I dealt with my concerns by focusing on myself and thinking less about others’ version of myself. The end of my school life was a point of transition that occurred for the better. For many people, the days that they have spent in surrounded by the comfort of their school are the best and also unforgettable thus, the feeling of leaving school is not cherished by many. I, on the other hand, saw that phase as an opportunity to start over and also as a signal that I had matured and for that I needed to take responsibility and become the pilot of my own life. The moment I left school, I promised myself that I would learn to celebrate victory and also accept that failure is part of the journey. This realization has helped me learn from my mistakes enhance my well-being. As suggested by Rosenthal, Gurney and Moore (1981), Erikson’s theory is an effective measure for understanding the significance and impact of life events including the extent to which our relationships shape us. In most of the relationships that I maintained through my adolescence, I focused too much on the other person rather than assessing whether the relationship was fulfilling and source of happiness for me. This often led to the scenario where I managed to maintain relationships with people who were perhaps selfish and deceiving. These relationships taught me to value family, true friends and those who have stood by me during tough times and in situations where I felt like giving up. During early and middle adolescence, I began to choose my friends over my parents. Eventually, I could see that my advent into teenage years strangely conflicted with my upbringing as a child and my parent’s expectations of what I ought to be. Thus, I started to rebel but at that point I saw my rebellion as normal because that is what my friends were doing too. Looking back, I know I gave into peer pressure at that point; perhaps more times than I can even remember I simply refused to acknowledge my parent’s importance in my life. Those days promoted a sense of negativity in the household as I argued with my parents and what they deemed as suitable or appropriate for me. However, from a positive perspective I can suggest that my parents were always understanding of the changes I was going through as an adolescent and they often tried to intervene and give me advice on matters, leaving the acceptance or rejection of that advice up to my discretion. As I grew older I realized that my parents sincerely wish that I succeed in life, hence, their concerns are justified and it reminds me of the feeling that someone is always there to look out for me no matter what the circumstances. References Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American psychologist, 55(5), 469. Franz, C. E., & White, K. M. (1985). Individuation and attachment in personality development: Extending Eriksons theory. Journal of personality, 53(2), 224-256. Rosenthal, D. A., Gurney, R. M., & Moore, S. M. (1981). From trust on intimacy: A new inventory for examining eriksons stages of psychosocial development. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 10(6), 525-537. Read More